We have expectations that 2014 will be a great year. Just a day into into the year, we already know that there will be plenty of news to be made.

We know former Midland Mayor Mike Canon is challenging Kel Seliger for the District 31 seat in the Texas Senate. We also know Tax Assessor-Collector Kathy Reeves is challenging incumbent Mike Bradford for the county judge’s seat.

We expect the school district will set a 2014 date for its next bond election, and we expect that number to blow way past the $163 million bond total from 2012.

There are other things we know will happen. Here are some things we would like to be writing about by the end of the year.

- The city of Midland takes the initiative and bans texting while driving. We know state Rep. Tom Craddick will author another statewide bill during the 2015 Legislature (and we expect it to become law), but we would like to see the city beat the state to the punch. And if the city called on drivers to communicate on their cells “hands-free,” we would have no problem with that at all.

- We want to see the United Way of Midland set a new record . Its goal is $3.52 million, but why not $4 million? This community has delivered more than $3 million every year since 2000. That even included years when the economy wasn’t nearly as good. Well, it’s time for people to help United Way meet the need and kick in a little extra. No community in the nation can boast the per-capita money that Midland does. It’s time to seriously challenge that $4 million mark.

- We want a plan in place to finish off the north half of Loop 250. Two huge needs on the transportation front are the improvement of entrances and exits along Interstate 20 and the completion of the northern loop. We believe Midland leaders can make it happen as they did with the State Highway 349 project. It might mean our local officials have to contribute a few bucks and partner with Texas Department of Transportation. If that is the case, make it happen Midland County, city of Midland and the Midland Development Corp.

- We want to see the number of semifinalists from Midland County in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program increase to at least 10. This county’s education officials, specifically those from Midland Independent School District, have shortchanged our community when it comes to delivering on the brightest of the bright. While certain schools in the Metroplex annually have placed 10 or more onto the list, our schools limp along. We can do better. We can’t hold back our best and brightest while trying to widen the middle. Our students have to achieve everything possible for Midland to boast the best education facilities around. We believe increasing the number of semifinalists by a factor of more than two would be a great place to start.

Quick takes: We want to see business taking place at XCOR. It’s time to see Midland’s $10 million investment take shape in the form of the aerospace company being headquartered at Midland International. ... We want to see a lowering of housing costs. Let’s get those new apartments in west Midland completed to help relieve that demand. We are all for free enterprise, but something must be done to bring down housing costs. The cost of housing is the greatest “quality of life” problem we have in Midland right now.